FReeper Canteen ~ Hall of Heroes: Paul J Wiedorfer ~ 11 August 2025

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[Kathy in Alaska]

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~ Hall of Heroes ~

Paul Wiedorfer

Info from here.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, raised in the 2400 block of McElderry Street, he attended St. Andrew's School, and graduated in 1940 from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. On November 11, 2008, a plaque honoring him was placed in Poly's Memorial Hall.

Married to his bride, Alice Stauffer, for just six months when Wiedorfer enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1943, he was working as an apprentice power station operator at the Baltimore Gas & Electric Company in Baltimore, and was living in the 1900 block of Bank Street.

Wiedorfer received basic training at Camp Lee, Virginia. He was then assigned to the Quartermaster Corps, and then passed the examination for cadet air training. He was training to be a pilot, but the Army switched him to infantry because of greater need. On the way to England he crossed the Atlantic Ocean on the HMS Queen Mary, and by December 25, 1944, was serving as a private in Company G, 318th Infantry Regiment, 80th Infantry Division.

On that Christmas Day, near Chaumont, Belgium, Wiedorfer single-handedly charged across 40 yards of open ground, destroyed two German machine gun emplacements and took six Germans prisoner. He was subsequently promoted to staff sergeant and on May 29, 1945, issued the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle.

While crossing the Saar River, he was severely wounded February 10, 1945, by a mortar shell that blew up near him; shrapnel broke his left leg, ripped into his stomach, and seriously injured two fingers on his right hand. The soldier next to him died from his wounds and Paul credited that soldier for saving his life. Recent research has discovered the soldier's name to be PFC Milton C Smithers of Huntingdon, New Jersey. Paul was evacuated to the 137th United States Army General Hospital in England where he was placed in traction. While in the hospital a sergeant reading Stars and Stripes asked him how he spelled his name, and then told him he had received the Medal of Honor. Later, on May 29, 1945, Brigadier General Egmont F. Koenig with a band entered the ward to present him with his medal

Wiedorfer reached the rank of master sergeant before retiring from the Army. In addition to the Medal of Honor he was also awarded a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts.

He returned to Baltimore on June 11, 1945, and was given a ticker tape parade with General George C. Marshall and Maryland governor Herbert O'Conor in attendance.

After the war he spent another three years recovering in different Army hospitals and then returned to Baltimore Gas & Electric, and retired in 1981 after 40 years of service. He and Alice had four children.

Wiedorfer died in Baltimore on May 25, 2011, at age 90. He was buried in Baltimore's Moreland Memorial Park Cemetery on June 7, 2011.

Wiedorfer's official Medal of Honor citation reads:

He alone made it possible for his company to advance until its objective was seized. Company G had cleared a wooded area of snipers, and 1 platoon was advancing across an open clearing toward another wood when it was met by heavy machinegun fire from 2 German positions dug in at the edge of the second wood. These positions were flanked by enemy riflemen. The platoon took cover behind a small ridge approximately 40 yards from the enemy position. There was no other available protection and the entire platoon was pinned down by the German fire. It was about noon and the day was clear, but the terrain extremely difficult due to a 3-inch snowfall the night before over ice-covered ground. Pvt. Wiedorfer, realizing that the platoon advance could not continue until the 2 enemy machinegun nests were destroyed, voluntarily charged alone across the slippery open ground with no protecting cover of any kind. Running in a crouched position, under a hail of enemy fire, he slipped and fell in the snow, but quickly rose and continued forward with the enemy concentrating automatic and small-arms fire on him as he advanced. Miraculously escaping injury, Pvt. Wiedorfer reached a point some 10 yards from the first machinegun emplacement and hurled a handgrenade into it. With his rifle he killed the remaining Germans, and, without hesitation, wheeled to the right and attacked the second emplacement. One of the enemy was wounded by his fire and the other 6 immediately surrendered. This heroic action by 1 man enabled the platoon to advance from behind its protecting ridge and continue successfully to reach its objective. A few minutes later, when both the platoon leader and the platoon sergeant were wounded, Pvt. Wiedorfer assumed command of the platoon, leading it forward with inspired energy until the mission was accomplished.

 

Please remember the Canteen is here to honor, support and entertain our troops and their families.  This is a politics-free zone!  Thanks for helping us in our mission! 

[left that other site]

Hi Everybody!

(((HUGS)))

[PROCON]

Thanks for honoring tonight's Hero, Kathy!

It didn't get to 100 degrees today as predicted but close enough, the Dog Days of Summer are here.

[Kathy in Alaska]

~ Hall of Heroes: Paul J Wiedorfer ~

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[radu]

Greetings to all at the Canteen!

To all our military men and women, past and present,

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, ML...((HUGS))...any Blue time this weekend?

No sun at all for me this weekend.

[radu]

Howdy, Kathy.

I see the sun’s been trying to pop out up there today. Any chance you got a little sunshine on your neighborhood?

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Pro...glad you enjoyed today’s hero.

Almost 100 is way too high. LOL! Stay cool.

[radu]

Howdy, PRO.

Sounds like the heat is on again in your neck o’ da woods. Break time is over. At least you HAD a break and were able to get out for some fun while it was there.

We’re warming up again, too, but not quite as much as you.

It’s summer, and the Dog Days suck.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, radu...hoping for some gentle rain for you since you and the farmers need it.

No sun here...but plenty of wind gusts.

[radu]

Hey there, Kathy.

Rain chances ratchet up this week so we’ll probably get something here. How much remains to be seen. We’re stuck under a huge high and it’s hard for rain systems to come through. Scattered showers are the best we can hope for. We’ll take what we can get.

I noticed it’s pretty gusty up there. Trees swaying pretty hard.

[Huskrrrr]

Thanks, Kathy. 🤗

[luvie]

Army MSgt Paul Wiedorfer
b. 1921 d. 5-25-2011
Medal Of Honor Recipient
...for single-handedly charging
across 40 yards of open ground,
destroying two German machine gun emplacements
and taking six Germans prisoner.
Was also badly wounded.
What a brave hero he was!

[MoochPooch]

Hi, Kathy! Nice to “see” you!

[radu]

Howdy, luvie.

Hope the day was a good one.

[E.G.C.]

A very pleasant good Monday morning and ((HUGS)) to everyone at the Canteen and to all our military at home and abroad. Thanks for your service to our country.

Yesterday at Comanche Lake:

How's everyone doing this morning?

[luvie]

Hey there, radu!

It was good but very hot. Thank goodness for AC, except cooling the car down after it sat in the sun all afternoon, for evening service, was kind of nasty. Have to be careful when buckling the ol’ branding iron..er..seat belt.

How were things there. More rain? How tall is the corn now? Is the cotton in full bloom or are the bolls now forming?

[radu]

Howdy, E.G.C. ((HUGZ))

Nice to see you aren’t under a heat advisory at last. You and Gizmo heading out at your usual time later today?

[radu]

Nothing like getting into hot cat and grabbing the HOT seatbelt buckle. Ouch! Waiting for the AC to cool the car off is bad enough.

It was pretty toasty here, with no rain. Had enough clouds to block the sun periodically and that kept it from getting really hot.

The corn has been through growing for a while. It’s turning brown now and will soon be ready for harvest.

The cotton’s blooming like crazy but I haven’t walked out to the edge of the field to see if bolls are forming yet. I imagine that’s started though.

[luvie]

We open the windows a bit to push the hot air out, but it sure doesn’t do it fast enough. Tomorrow, though, it’s supposed to only be 93, so that will give some relief.

I thought we might get some rain this evening, but it was like it melted away whenever the moisture got near our location. Dang it!

Does it look like he’s going to have a good corn harvest this year? No shriveled ears?